Blow-off apparatus



A v. E. Mccov BLOW-OFF APPARATUS Filed Feb. 18. 1955 May 1s, 1931.

' Gy" g4 S5570@ MMM? Y VefL Mc Patented May 18, 1937 UNHTED STATES rArENr crier.

BLOW- OFF APPARATUS Application February 18, 1935, Serial No. 7,067

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a blow-off device for locomotives intended to be positioned not upon the locomotives themselves but at stations, yards, terminals or other convenient positions alongside-of the tracks and to which locomotives may readily be connected temporarily.

All locomotives in service today are provided with blow-off valves located near the bottoms of the boilers for discharging sludge accumulations from time to time. Most locomotives have blow-01T valves which discharge directly to the atmosphere, usually away from the side of the boiler in a downward and sideward direction. Obviously locomotives so equipped cannot be blown down by the engine crew while the engine is standing at a passenger station or near any other property that might be injured, or in places where people might be injured by the escaping steam and water. This invention aims to provide blow-off apparatus positioned at strategic points along the railroad tracks where locomotives normally stop or may conveniently be made to stop for attachment to the apparatus. The apparatus is so constructed that when the blow-off valve is opened and the escaping sludge is discharged, the high pressure steam therein will be separated almost entirely from the water and allowed to escape harmlessly and quite noiselessly to the atmosphere. The water and sludge from which this steam is separated is then discharged, at little or no pressure, to any convenient point such as a sewer, drain or such other place, as may be desired.

In general the object of the invention is to provide stationary apparatus which may be temporarily connected to locomotives, and safely and quietly accomplish the necessary blowing o of the locomotives at points where discharge directly to the atmosphere from the blow-oi valves is unsafe or undesirable.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a perusal of the specication.

The drawing illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In Fig. 1 is shown a front elevation of the blow-oil apparatus connected to a locomotive.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the separator shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same separator, viewing the side thereof which is nearest the locomotive shown in Fig. l.

Fig. l is a central vertical sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

(Cl. 18S-84) Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional View on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

In the drawing, the numeral I indicates the usual blow-off valve, the construction of which does not form a part of this invention. A lever 2 indicates diagrammatically a mechanism for opening this blow-oi valve. As this invention is not concerned with the construction of the valve, nor its valve operating mechanism, nothing further of that character need be shown herein. Connected to the blow-oilc valve is an elbow 3, a nipple 4, a union 5, the union then providing connection to a more flexible pipe connecting system leading to the separator ,6. This system includes pipes l, 8 and 9 and the flexible ball and socket joints II, I2 and I3. This flexible connection is advisable so that when a locomotive is spotted fairly close, but not necessarily exactly opposite the separator, the necessary connections may readily be made.

The separator itself consists of the tank 6 having a sludge inlet pipe I4 which delivers the sludge tangentially into the cylindrical separator into the chamber I5. In the chamber I5 the centrifugal force causes the water to hug the wall Y of this chamber while the steam escapes inwardly, and passing around the baiiie plate I6 emerges through the port Il in the deck I8, further expands in the chamber I9 and then escapes up- Wardly to the atmosphere and quite noiselessly through the aperture 2I. The sludge and water from which the steam has thus separated itself will continue to oW with centrifugal force along the walls of the chamber I5 and escape tangentially into the pipe 22, thence through the U- shaped member 23 and nipple 2li, back again into the cylindrical separator into a compartment 25 below the deck 2E and thence downwardly through the stand pipe 2l. Both decks I8 and 26, as shown, have their peripheral margins sealed against the cylindrical walls of the tank.

The horizontal baffle plate i6 is connected to and supported on a wall 29 which is secured to the underside of the deck I8 and extends through an arc, as indicated in Fig. 5, about half way around and concentric with the central circular aperture Il. The baille I6 and its supporting wall 29 thus serve to discourage any water spray from being carried by the escaping steam up through the aperture I1.

The stand pipe 21 has two functions, one is to provide for the escape of the water from the compartment 25 and the other is to act as a support for the blow-off apparatus. Preferably this pipe will be embedded in a concrete block 28 and it will be connected with a sewer, a drain, or some other suitable connection, for disposing of the waste water. If connected to an enclosed sewer system, the pressure having been relieved rom the water by the centrifugal separation of the steam, no disturbance will be created in the sewer system.

For the sake of convenience, a rest 29 may be provided on the side of the stand pipe for supporting the flexible pipe connections when not 1n use.

This blow-off apparatus will ordinarily be mounted between adjoining railroad tracks, and due to the exibility of the pipe connections it may readily be connected with locomotives on tracks at either side of the apparatus.

To facilitate easy attachment of the pipe connections, the nut of the union may have handles such as 3| welded thereto.

In the usual operation of the device the chamber I9 formed from a continuation of the walls of the separator, provides enough further expansion of the steam issuing from. the port I1 so that a considerable condensation of the steam will occur.V The condensationV accumulating in chamber IS will eventually overflow through the port l1 and be carried off, and falling into the chamber l5 will then find its way down to the stand pipe. If desired pipe 28 may be installed to drain this condensation.

While some other support for the separator tank 6 could be supplied instead of the stand pipe 21, the construction illustrated is preferred, due to its simplicity.

As indicated in the drawing, the separator 6 will be mounted preferably about as high or higher than the tops of the locomotives, at least high enough so that the steam escaping from the tops thereof will not be blown by strong winds directly against nearby persons or adjoining property. This precaution is taken principally to prevent clouds of steam from obscuring vision of the crew and attendants and to prevent condensation upon cooler objects that the steam might contact. Furthermore the steam being discharged upwardly away from the earth, what slight noise it makes will be little noticed by persons standing at a level below it.

Since the water is discharged through the pipe 27 into some system not open to the atmosphere at the location of the blow-01T separator no noise of the escaping water will be observed. Also no steam will arise from this hot water in the vicinity of the locomotive to the annoyance of persons or interference with property near by. This is an advantage, especially in cold weather. Thus this apparatus may quickly be connected. to a locomotive standing in a passenger station, 4even if there for only a few minutes and the passengers will not be aware of, nor be disturbed by, the blow-off operation.

Of course if desired, and if it is convenient or practical, the separated water, instead of being discharged downwardly from the` separator into a drain or sewer under ground, may be disposed of in some other manner as by piping it perhaps upwardly into some system where it may be conducted away from the location of the separator far enough so that steam arising from it will not annoy those in the vicinity of the separator.

One advantage of mounting and constructing the separator in the manner disclosed in the drawing resides in the fact that if this separator be mounted close to a track or between tracksv the supporting pipe will not occupy much space within the clearance space provided between adjoining tracks. To gain this advantage the drain pipe itself makes an excellent support, but some other supporting structure as economical of the clearance may be utilized. Also, since the Separator is mounted clear of the ground, it is not in a position to interfere with track workers or others walking alongside the track. The separator may, if desired, be mounted higher than the tops of trains passing by it, and may therefore have a larger diameter than it could conveniently have if placed on or close to the ground between adjoining tracks. Being elevated, as shown in the drawing, it is out of the way. Should some users desire, however, to mount this separator close to the ground, it is contemplated that a conduit for discharging the steam into the atmosphere could be provided extending from the top of the separator to any height at which it was deemed safe or desirable to deliver the steam into the atmosphere.

it should be understood that certain modifications may be made in this invention without a departure from the principles and scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.

Having shown and described my invention, I

claim:

l. A locomotive blow-01T apparatus comprising a tank of circular horizontal cross section provided with an inlet for sludge positioned to deliver the same tangentially into the tank, decks above and below said inlet, the one above having a central outlet for escaping steam, `a chamber in said tank above said upper deck and an aperture Vat the top of said tank for delivering separated steam directly upwardly to the atmosphere, an outlet pipe immediately above said lower deck positioned for taking water tangentially out of said tank above said lower deck, said tank having a closed bottom spaced downwardly from said lower deck forming a chamber, a connection from said outlet pipe for discharging water into said last said' chamber, a pipe for supporting said tank and for delivering the Water downwardly from the last said chamber to a point of discharge, and means for connecting said sludge inlet pipe to a locomotive.

2. A blow-OIT apparatus for temporary connection to blow-off valves of locomotives comprising a tank and means for supporting the same positioned adjacent a railroad track, said tank having a circular horizontal cross section, an inlet pipe connected with the middle portion of said tank c for delivering water tangentially thereinto, flexible connecting means connected .,lth said inlet pipe for attachment to a locomotive, a transverse partition above said tank inlet and provided with a central aperture for the upward escape of steam and forming with the side walls of said tank a steam expansion chamber above said partition, the upper end of said tank having an upwardly opening discharge port for steam, and means connected with said tank below said inlet forwithdrawing water from the interior of said tank and constructed for delivering the same in a closed conduit down into the ground to a point of discharge separated from the position of said apparatus.

VERL E. MCCOY. 

